The Shining 原版小说-第94章
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a hand appeared; groping for the bolt。 She saw with horror that she had left
Jack's key ring dangling from the lock。
The hand yanked the bolt back; and as it did so it struck the bunched keys。
They jingled merrily。 The hand clutched them victoriously。
With a sob; she pushed her way into the bathroom and slammed the door just as
the bedroom door burst open and Jack charged through; bellowing。
Wendy ran the bolt and twisted the spring lock; looking around desperately。
The bathroom was empty。 Danny wasn't here; either。 And as she caught sight of
her own bloodsmeared; horrified face in the medicine cabinet mirror; she was
glad。 She had never believed that children should be witness to the little
quarrels of their parents。 And perhaps the thing that was now raving through the
bedroom; overturning things and smashing them; would finally collapse before it
could go after her son。 Perhaps; she thought; it might be possible for her to
inflict even more damage on it 。。。 kill it; perhaps。
Her eyes skated quickly over the bathroom's machine…produced porcelain
surfaces; looking for anything that might serve as a weapon。 There was a bar of
soap; but even wrapped in a towel she didn't think it would be lethal enough。
Everything else was bolted down。 God; was there nothing she could do?
Beyond the door; the animal sounds of destruction went on and on; acpanied
by thick shouts that they would 〃take their medicine〃 and 〃pay for what they'd
done to him。〃 He would 〃show them who's boss;〃 They were 〃worthless puppies;〃
the both of them。
There was a thump as her record player was overturned; a hollow crash as the
secondhand TV's picture tube was smashed; the tinkle of windowglass followed by
a cold draft under the bathroom door。 A dull thud as the mattresses were ripped
from the twin beds where they had slept together; hip to hip。 Boomings as Jack
struck the walls indiscriminately with the mallet。
There was nothing of the real Jack in that howling; maundering; petulant
voice; though。 It alternately whined in tones of selfpity and rose in lurid
screams; it reminded her chillingly of the screams that sometimes rose in the
geriatrics ward of the hospital where she had worked summers as a high school
kid。 Senile dementia。 Jack wasn't out there anymore。 She was hearing the
lunatic; raving voice of the Overlook itself。
The mallet smashed into the bathroom door; knocking out a huge chunk of the
thin paneling。 Half of a crazed and working face stared in at her。 The mouth and
cheeks and throat were lathered in blood; the single eye she could see was tiny
and piggish and glittering。
〃Nowhere left to run; you cunt;〃 it panted at her through its grin。 The mallet
descended again; knocking wood splinters into the tub and against the reflecting
surface of the medicine cabinet
(!! The medicine cabinet !!)
A desperate whining noise began to escape her as she whirled; pain temporarily
forgotten; and threw the mirror door of the cabinet back。 She began to paw
through its contents。 Behind her that hoarse voice bellowed: 〃Here I e now!
Here I e now; you pig!〃 It was demolishing the door in a machinelike frenzy。
Bottles and jars fell before her madly searching fingers — cough syrup; Vaseline;
Clairol Herbal Essence shampoo; hydrogen peroxide; benzocaine — they fell into
the sink and shattered。
Her hand closed over the dispenser of double…edged razor blades just as she
heard the hand again; fumbling for the bolt and the spring lock。
She slipped one of the razor blades out; fumbling at it; her breath ing in
harsh little gasps。 She had cut the ball of her thumb。 She whirled around and
slashed at the hand; which had turned the lock and was now fumbling for the
bolt。
Jack screamed。 The hand was jerked back。
Panting; holding the razor blade between her thumb and index finger; she
waited for him to try again。 He did; and she slashed。 He screamed again; trying
to grab her hand; and she slashed at him again。 The razor blade turned in her
hand; cutting her again; and dropped to the tile floor by the toilet。
Wendy slipped another blade out of the dispenser and waited。
Movement in the other room —
(?? going away ??)
And a sound ing through the bedroom window。 A motor。 A high; insectile
buzzing sound。
A roar of anger from Jack and then — yes; yes; she was sure of it — he was leaving
the caretaker's apartment; plowing through the wreckage and out into the hall。
(?? Someone ing a ranger Dick Hallorann ??)
〃Oh God;〃 she muttered brokenly through a mouth that seemed filled with broken
sticks and old sawdust。 〃Oh God; oh please。〃
She had to leave now; had to go find her son so they could face the rest of
this nightmare side by side。 She reached out and fumbled at the bolt。 Her arm
seemed to stretch for miles。 At last she got it to e free。 She pushed the
door open; staggered out; and was suddenly overe by the horrible certainty
that Jack had only pretended to leave; that he was lying in wait for her:
Wendy looked around。 The room was empty; the living room too。 Jumbled; broken
stuff everywhere。
The closet? Empty。
Then the soft shades of gray began to wash over her and she fell down on the
mattress Jack had ripped from the bed; semiconscious。
》
HALLORANN LAID LOW
Hallorann reached the overturned snowmobile just as; a mile and a half away;
Wendy was pulling herself around the corner and into the short hallway leading
to the caretaker's apartment。
It wasn't the snowmobile he wanted but the gascan held onto the back by a pair
of elastic straps。 His hands; still clad in Howard Cottrell's blue mittens;
seized the top strap and pulled it free as the hedge lion roared behind him — a
sound that seemed to be more in his head than outside of it。 A hard; brambly
slap to his left leg; making the knee sing with pain as it was driven in a way
the joint had never been expected to bend。 A groan escaped Hallorann's clenched
teeth。 It would e for the kill any time now; tired of playing with him。
He fumbled for the second strap。 Sticky blood ran in his eyes。
(Roar! Slap!)
That one raked across his buttocks; almost tumbling him over and away from the
snowmobile again。 He held on — no exaggeration — for dear life。
Then he had freed the second strap。 He clutched the gascan to him as the lion
struck again; rolling him over on his back。 He saw it again; only a shadow in
the darkness and falling snow; as nightmarish as a moving gargoyle。 Hallorann
twisted at the can's cap as the moving shadow stalked him; kicking up snowpuffs。
As it moved in again the cap spun free; releasing the pungent smell of the
gasoline。
Hallorann gained his knees and as it came at him; lowslung and incredibly
quick; he splashed it with the gas。
There was a hissing; spitting sound and it drew back。
〃Gas!〃 Hallorann cried; his voice shrill and breaking。 〃Gonna burn you; baby!
Dig on it awhile!〃
The lion came at him again; still spitting angrily。 Hallorann splashed it
again but this time the lion didn't give。 It charged ahead。 Hallorann sensed
rather than saw its head angling at his face and he threw himself backward;
partially avoiding it。 Yet the lion still hit his upper rib cage a glancing
blow; and a flare of pain struck there。 Gas gurgled out of the can; which he
still held; and doused his right hand and arm; cold as death。
Now he lay on his back in a snow angel; to the right of the snowmobile by
about ten paces。 The hissing lion was a bulking presence to his left; closing in
again。 Hallorann thought he could see its tail twitching。
He yanked Cottrell's mitten off his right hand; tasting sodden wool and
gasoline。 He ripped up the hem of the parka and jammed his hand into his pants
pocket。 Down in there; along with his keys and his change; was a very battered
old Zippo lighter。 He had bought it in Germany in 1954。 Once the hinge had
broken and he had returned it to the Zippo factory and they had repaired it
without charge; just as advertised。
A nightmare flood of thoughts flooding through his mind in a split second。
(Dear Zippo my lighter was swallowed by a crocodile dropped from an airplane
lost in the Pacific trench saved me from a Kraut bullet in the Battle of the
Bulge dear Zippo if this fucker doesn't go that lion is going to rip my head
off)
The lighter was out。 He clicked the hood back。 The lion; rushing at him; a
growl like ripping cloth; his finger flicking the striker wheel; spark; flame;
(my hand)
his gasoline…soaked hand suddenly ablaze; the flames running up the sleeve of
the parka; no pain; no pain yet; the lion shying from the torch suddenly blazing
in front of it; a hideous flickering hedge sculpture with eyes and a mouth;
shying away; too late。
Wincing at the pain; Hallorann drove his blazing arm into its stiff and
scratchy side。
In an instant the whole creature was in flames; a prancing; writhing pyre on
the snow。 It bellowed in rage and pain; seeming to chase its flaming tail as it
zigzagged away fr